Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice.
The Theodore B. Mitchell Papers consists of correspondence, research notes, glass plate lantern slides, and newspaper clippings pertaining to Theodore B. Mitchell's career and his research on "systematic entomology," and in particular his study of bees (which culminated in the publication of the two-volume Bees of the Eastern United States). The Professional Correspondence series contains letters to colleagues in the field of entomology and includes, among others, letters to and from the British Museum of Natural History, the California Academy of Sciences, the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the College of Tropical Agriculture. The Personal Correspondence series contains letters to friends and family members, as well as letters that document Mitchell's involvement with various civic organizations.
Theodore B. Mitchell (1890-1983) was a North Carolina State College professor of entomology for over thirty-five years. During his career, he researched "systematic entomology" and had a special focus on bees.
Theodore B. Mitchell was born on October 26, 1890, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He attended Massachusetts Agricultural College (now University of Massachusetts, Amherst), from which he graduated with a B.S. degree in 1920. He also served in the U.S. Army as a Band Sargeant, spending one year in France during World War I. Mitchell was employed by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture in 1920 as an Assistant Entomologist. In that capacity he conducted extensive field surveys, and the focus on "systematic entomology" that was to dominate his future research came into being. Furthering his education, Mitchell obtained the M.S. degree from North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (later North Carolina State University) in 1924, and completed his education with an S.D. degree from Harvard University in 1928.
Joining the North Carolina State College faculty in 1925, Dr. Mitchell was promoted to associate professor in 1930, and achieved the rank of full professor in 1938, a position that he held until his retirement in 1961. Mitchell continued his research for many years after his retirement, and was a noted figure in the field of entomology. The special attention given to bees throughout his career culminated in the publication of Bees of the Eastern United States, a two-volume manual of the entire bee fauna.
Dr. Mitchell was a member of many honorary and professional fraternities and organizations, most notably Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, the Entomological Society of America, and the North Carolina Academy of Science.
Dr. Mitchell married Miss Olivia Gowan of Raleigh in 1924, and they had one son, Richard. Theodore B. Mitchell died on February 10, 1983.
The Theodore B. Mitchell Papers consists of correspondence, research notes, glass plate lantern slides, and newspaper clippings pertaining to Theodore B. Mitchell's career and his research on "systematic entomology," and in particular his study of bees (which culminated in the publication of the two-volume Bees of the Eastern United States). The Professional Correspondence series contains letters to colleagues in the field of entomology and includes, among others, letters to and from the British Museum of Natural History, the California Academy of Sciences, the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the College of Tropical Agriculture. The Personal Correspondence series contains letters to friends and family members, as well as letters that document his involvement with various civic organizations.
Collection is arranged in five series: 1. Professional Correspondence; 2. Personal Correspondence; 3. Glass Plate Lantern Slides; 4. Travel Diaries and Field Notes; 5. Slides and Biographical Information.
North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
[Identification of item], Theodore B. Mitchell Papers, MC 00183, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Transfer from Department of Entomology, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, April 22, 1986, and July 2007. The last departmental transfer was Accession Number 2007-0231. In addition accessions made through the following donations: gift of Sam Droege, 2008 (Accession 2008-0068), and gift of Janet Mitchell, 2008 (Accession 2008-0272).
Processed by: Special Collections Staff; machine-readable finding aid created by: Valerie Gillispie, 2004; Finding aid updated by Special Collections staff to reflect additions to the collection, 2007; Glass lantern slides series reprocessed by Alanna Natanson, 2022 May; Finding aid updated by Clara Wilson, 2022 May
The collection is organized into five principal series:
6 archival storage boxes
1 archival storage box
Contained here are glass plate lantern slides showing photographs of insects (including but not exclusively bees), turtles, and crabs; illustrated diagrams of insects; and taxonomies of organisms. Also contains specimen descriptions on index cards (associated with many of the slides by slide number), and mounted dragonflies. These item had been discovered in the offices or labs of the Department of Entomology and they were transferred to Special Collections in July 2007.
75 glass plate lantern slides
Diaries and notes from research trips and personal travel.
Addition donated by Janet Mitchell, daughter-in-law of Theodore B. Mitchell: 1 small box of photographic slides and 1 notebook of memoirs, correspondence, newsclippings, interview transcript, and other documents.
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice.
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[Identification of item], Theodore B. Mitchell Papers, MC 00183, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.